Compared to...

As we've said before, things are getting more and more cramped in the 'entry level' segment of the DLSR market. On the one hand that gives the consumer plenty of choice, on the other hand it becomes increasingly difficult for manufacturers to make their product stand out in the sheer mass of affordable SLRs. No doubt the differences between models in this sector of the market are narrowing all the time. There are maybe 5 or 6 cameras competing with the Sony DSLR A200, for the purpose of this comparison we've narrowed the field down to a slightly more manageable three; the Olympus E-420, Nikon's D60 and the brand new Canon EOS 1000D.

Let's start with a quick look at how the competitors line up:

Camera

Kit price

Live
view

LCD

Anti
Shake

Sensor (effective pixels)

Sony DSLR A200

$460

No

2.7" / 230k pixels

In-body

10.2 MP CCD (1.5x crop)

Nikon D60

$660

No

2.5" / 230k pixels

Lens option

10.2 MP CCD (1.5x crop)

Canon EOS 1000D

$n/a

Yes

2.5" / 230k pixels

Kit lens

10.1 MP CMOS (1.6x crop)

Olympus E-420

$500

Yes

2.7" / 230k pixels

No

10.0 MP LiveMOS (2.0x crop)

Up until now, most camera companies have offered a single 'entry-level' model aimed mainly at first-time DSLR buyers. Sony was one of the first manufacturers to change that strategy by launching three entry level cameras (almost) at the same time, offering something for everybody - the A350 for the feature-loving photographer on a budget, the A200 for those whose number one criterion is value for money and the A300 for bargain hunters who want a balance of the two.

The A200 is a bargain, even in the entry-level segment, and thus it'll directly compete with cameras such as the Olympus E-420 and the new Canon 1000D. It does not quite offer the same (relatively) extensive feature set as those two cameras (most notably there is no live-view on the A200) but then again it's a few bucks cheaper. Let's see how our candidates battle it out in the studio on the following pages.